SG77: MAKEORBREAK - TABLE FOR ONE [LP]
MAKEORBREAK is the dream pop project of Mateo Hwang and Peter Nguyen. Their recent album Table For One, released this past Spring, is a nuanced expression of their unique take on the genre, built on a gorgeous balance of confidence and vulnerability. Opener “Puddle” sets the scene with an intimate, slightly darkened piano melody, at once atmospheric and focused, while stunners “Y” and “Expiration Date” boast tantalizing, textured melodies evoking the strain of moonlight and slightly weary, passionate vocals, as holding within them the weight of memory.
However, the album wonderfully counteracts this heaviness with some brightness and levity, as heard in the ebullient title track as well as the coarse, upbeat tune “Fifty on Red.” But after this has transpired, it all comes back to honest and earnestness, as heard in the beautiful closer “Honeymoon,” where soft, stripped back piano and sparse, feathery guitar merge to create a heart wrenching expanse that gorgeously betrays the carefree sounds that came just moments before. Overall, Table For One is an album that keeps you guessing in the best way possible - and yet, it all beautifully converges into a coherent and confident collection of tracks that mimic the ups and downs of emotion and experience.
SG77: MAKEORBREAK - TABLE FOR ONE [LP]